Enfield Chase railway station
0.688 |railexits0506 = 0.689 |railexits0607 = 1.140 |railexits0708 = 1.312 |railexits0809 = 1.162 |railexits0910 = 1.221 |railexits1011 = 1.247 |railcode = ENC |latitude=51.6529 |longitude=-0.0908 }} Enfield Chase railway station is located in Windmill Hill, Enfield, in the London Borough of Enfield in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by First Capital Connect. It is directly west of Enfield Town centre. The current station opened in 1910 with the extension of the Hertford Loop Line to Cuffley, replacing a previous station a short distance to the west which opened in 1871. Originally called simply "Enfield" station, the current name was adopted in 1924 to avoid confusion with Enfield Town. Services The service from the station runs to Moorgate on weekdays until about 9.30 p.m., and into London Kings Cross after 9.30 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Normally the service uses class 313 EMUs, as these are the only units cleared to Moorgate, although on weekends sometimes class 317 EMUs are used instead. The typical off-peak service is three trains per hour to Moorgate, and three trains per hour to Hertford North, with one per hour extended to Letchworth Garden City via Stevenage. Transport links London bus routes 121, 231, 307, 313 and 377. History The original terminus The original Enfield Station in Windmill Hill opened on 1 April 1871 as the terminus for the Great Northern Railway branch line from Alexandra Palace, replacing a temporary station of 1852 in Maiden Lane. By 1887, 37 trains a day left Enfield, mainly for King's Cross, but also to Broad Street and until 1907, to Woolwich and Victoria.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=26948 T F T Baker, R B Pugh (Editors) Victoria County History: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5 1976 (p.212)] The station building was a two storey twin-gabled house, similar in style to the single storey building at Palmers Green. It was sited lengthways across the end of the track. The single island platform was covered by a wide canopy for much of its length. Enfield Station had been intended to bring prosperous middle class commuters to the area. A journalist visiting the station in 1885, saw a sign advertising cheap workmen's tickets for trains scheduled to arrive in London before 8 am, only to find that the timetable showed that there were no trains that met that criterion.David Pam, A History of Enfield: Volume Two, 1837 to 1914, A Victorian Suburb, Enfield Preservation Society 1992, ISBN 0-907318-10X The old Enfield Station and its track remained in use as a goods depot until 1974. The surviving buildings were demolished and replaced during the 2000s with housing along a new street called Gladbeck Way.Disused Stations - Site Record - Station Name: ENFIELD The new high level station By the end of the 19th century, there was a need to relieve the pressure on the main line to the north out of Kings Cross, and a plan to continue the Enfield branch to Hertford and Stevenage was conceived. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1898, and the GNR set about acquiring and demolishing houses and compensating land owners in the area. Work on the line commenced in 1906.Exploring 20th Century London - Great Northern Railway proposed extension route for Parish of Enfield The new Enfield Station was sited a few hundred yards to the east of the existing one, and raised above ground level so that north bound trains could access a new bridge crossing the road at Windmill Hill. It opened on 4 April 1910 for services as far as Cuffley. The first through train to Stevenage did not run until 4 March 1918, because of a host of legal and engineering difficulties, and shortages of men and material caused by World War I. The name Enfield Chase was adopted in 1924, to avoid confusion with Enfield Town station.H P White, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume III: Greater London, David & Charles 1971 ISBN 0-946537-39-9 (pp.169-170) See also * Enfield Lock railway station * Enfield Town railway station References External links * History of Enfield from local government Category:Railway stations in Enfield Category:Former Great Northern Railway stations Category:Railway stations opened in 1910 Category:Railway stations served by First Capital Connect Category:DfT Category D stations